France to decide on Russia warship deal 'in coming weeks'

French President Francois Hollande said on Monday that he would decide “in the coming weeks” whether or not to scrap a contentious contract to supply two warships to Russia. The fate of the two Mistral helicopter carriers has plagued France-Russia ties for more than a year, following the decision by Paris to put the 1.2-billion-euro ($1.3-billion) deal on ice as the West slapped sanctions on Moscow over its annexation of Crimea and alleged backing for separatist rebels in Ukraine. “We have contractual obligations,” Hollande told reporters on Monday, referring to the deal.